I am not one to watch sermons on a regular basis, but what Pastor Steven Furtick said about how we have this picture of how we think our life should go and doesn’t really hit home. I believe the big reason for this being such an issue for people is that because we’re a society that is only satisfied with instant results and because we all feel entitled. We are no longer believe putting in the work to achieve whatever dream or goal we have is worth it. What was it that was said about life?
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” It is my belief that we’re all given three keys in life. One the gift of love and compassion for life and it’s people. Two, Passions, interests, callings that help us to paint our page in the book of life. And three, humanity/decency toward no only ourselves, but one another.
If you think about it we are given a box of our pieces to turn into our own picture of imperfect beauty. And trust me when I say, when I got my box of pieces I struggled with the pieces just like everyone else did. I think that’s one of the major issues people have today. We can get so caught up in trying to figure out where our pieces go, competing, and judging the pieces of the person next to us that we forget we all same the same goal and emotions. And you can’t judge someone else’s picture by the one piece you happen to be fixated on in the moment.
Life does not work like that. We all know that by now. If you think about it like it this way if we all took our boxes full of pieces and dumped them at our feet, stood back, and thought about how we would approach building our one of a kind custom picture, none os will start at the top, taking the same plan of execution. Some will start building from the side, other will start building the top. No one starts out building together until we all reach the middle, and decide that’s it’s better to work together with whatever “team” AKA family were given to build with.
I think it’s easier for us to judge rather than make an attempt at trying to understand something that we simply do not get. And I think Pastor Steve Furtick sermon on judging based on one piece of a bigger picture can also touch on the disability community as well. But, unlike the box of pieces that an able-bodied person our pieces may look different than theirs, they may even look impossible to build anything with. But here is a huge realization that connects us all.
And that is a common desire to achieve our own idea of the American dream. And just like our boxes of pieces that can turn out to be completely different than we originally planned as well. When you have a disability, that road can indefinitely take you to roads less traveled. And can leave you feeling completely lost. And while you are in the midst of trying to find your destined safe way out, you are often judged by your one piece. My piece is called cerebral palsy.
Here we are a few days into 2018, and the disability community is still dealing with having to ask to be included in society, and recognized as a vital and capable part of society. As people who only simply want to contribute and share their gifts with people who all have the same dream and goal in mind. To make the world a better place for future generations to come. If it can take one piece of a picture to be judged without hesitation, what would it take if we simply start accepting someone for that same piece?
Here is what I have learned while trying to figure out how my box of pieces fit together. It is that people, in general, are like puzzles themselves. Some pieces may be missing; some may look like they don’t even belong. My point is, we’re all judging by that one piece because I think it’s easier to judge smoothing or someone by that one piece than to stay and work wit or them to see what or who they turn out to be.
Why do we do this? Because we fear the outcome. Either way, we turn into potential flight risk because of the dark bottom, and median whatever breaks we take. That’s why it’s so easy for us to judge or dismiss something or someone based on one tiny piece. If we pull the alarm prematurely then we don’t ever getting burned because we ran before it ever started.
Trust me, when I say, I know exactly what that’s like. No one can go back, and stop the clock and go directly to that moment when everything felt like a complete mess. And your box of pieces just looks like a giant pile of crap. But that pile that is in front of you never stays a pile. Why? Because you dug in that pile of pieces, found that piece that you were too quick to judge, lay it down and began to build your picture. Piece by piece.
Eventually realizing that you can’t judge anyone’s picture by their piece.
